1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to new magnetic materials and new metallic particles, and methods for their manufacture. In particular, the present invention relates to new magnetic materials and new metallic particles, methods of making them (including methods of siloxyl coating them), and methods of using them, for example, to prepare magnetically modified electrodes for fuel cells, electrolytic cells, and batteries that thereby benefit from resulting enhanced or otherwise beneficially altered function.
2. Background of the Related Art
Commercially available paramagnetic microparticles are expensive and not of uniform size. For example, the paramagnetic microparticles are reported to be 1-2 μm in diameter, but microscopy indicates they are 0.1-10 μm in diameter. In addition, each batch has a different magnetic content. These variations in size and magnetic field strength introduce additional experimental variables that diminish reproducibility and greatly reduce experimental precision. Paramagnetic microparticles can cost approximately $400 per gram. Although this figure may not be great when modifying small 0.45 cm2 electrodes with 3-6 μm thick composites, it becomes significant when the magnetic microparticles are used in larger industrial and commercial applications.
Therefore, a need exists for new magnetic micromaterials and new metallic materials generally, such as magnetic microparticles and metallic microparticles, that are fabricated with more uniformity. In addition, a need exists for new magnetic micromaterials, such as magnetic microparticles, that have higher magnetic field strengths in order to more greatly facilitate magnetically susceptible chemical reactions and other magnetically susceptible processes. In this regard, a need exists for magnetic microparticles with thinner coatings to permit advantageous use of their magnetic fields, which taper off with distance by a function of the inverse cube of the distance x from the particle: X−3. Furthermore, a need exists for a method of coating metallic particles in general, for example, to prevent oxidative and other detrimental surface processes and reactions.
The following United States and PCT patent documents to Leddy, et al., are hereby incorporated by reference in their respective entireties: U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,786,040, 5,817,221, 5,871,625, 5,928,804, 5,981,095,and 6,001,248; U. S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/429,931, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,889, Ser. No. 09/047,494, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,676, Ser. No. 09/122,861, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,885, Ser. No. 09/362,495, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,313,Ser. No. 09/429,931,now U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,166,and Ser. No. 09/458,058, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,242; PCT Application Nos. PCT/US00/15041 and PCT/US00/28242; and Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/212,630, 60/208,322, 60/159,374, and 60/139,318.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.